Impact of the Design of Walls Made of Compressed Earth Blocks on the Thermal Comfort of Housing in Hot Climate

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of the design of wall systems, mainly made of compressed earth blocks (CEB), on the indoor thermal comfort of naturally ventilated housing in hot climates of Burkina Faso. Conventional housing was modeled and calibrated using the WUFI® Plus dynamic simulation tool based on typical field surveys and the literature. This allowed testing the ability of different wall designs to impact thermal comfort. Thermal discomfort was assessed through an adaptive approach and was based on the annual weighted exceedance hours of overheating. Six designs of walls made of CEB and other locally available materials were simulated and compared to those made of classical hollow concrete blocks. The results of the simulation reveal that the profiles of thermal discomfort vary depending on the wall designs and building spaces. Thus, the wall made, from the outside toward the inside surface, of plywood of 2 cm, an insulation layer of 5 cm and a CEB layer of 29 cm thickness is the most suitable for an annual reduction in overheating for the living room. Regarding the bedroom, the most suitable wall is made of a 14 cm CEB layer, 5 cm insulating layer and 2 cm wood layer from the outside toward the inside surface.

The Paradox around the Social Representations of Compressed Earth Block Building Material in Burkina Faso: The Material for the Poor or the Luxury Material?

“…In a hot climate such as Burkina Faso, a study showed that thermal discomfort varied according to the walls and spaces of the buildings. The study shows that the construction of CEB walls with very specific criteria would reduce the annual overheating in the rooms of the building (Hema et al, 2020). Similarly, a simulation study also showed that there is a gain in terms of energy savings in house built with a by-product-stabilized CEB, compared to a cinder block-house (Moussa et al, 2019).…”

“…In the local context of Burkina Faso, similar studies have specifically focused on the stabilization using industrial binders (cement or lime), geopolymer binders, plant fibers or industrial and agricultural by-products in order to enhance the physical and mechanical performances and durability of CEB for applications in building wall constructions (Ouedraogo et al, 2015;Nshimiyimana et al, 2018;Sore et al, 2018;Nshimiyimana et al, 2020aNshimiyimana et al, , 2020bNshimiyimana et al, , 2020cNshimiyimana et al, , 2020dNshimiyimana et al, forthcoming). Additionally, a number of studies has assessed the potential of CEBs as masonry material for improving the indoor comfort and potentially reduce the energy consumption for air-conditioning (Hema et al, 2017;Moussa et al 2019;Hema et al, 2020;Hema et al, forthcoming).…”

A model for thermal comfort assessment of naturally ventilated housing in the hot and dry tropical climate

“…Several researchers previously used the similar systems to test the performance of the building with respect to the interior thermal comfort in various climatic regions, such as Hema et al (2020), Neya et al . (2020) and Rincón et al (2019) in Burkina Faso, Kuznik and Virgone (2009) in France and Albatayneh et al (2016) in Australia.…”

Durability Performances of Compressed Earth Blocks Exposed to Wetting–drying Cycles and High Temperature

“…The improvement of the durability performances of earthen materials, and more specifically compressed earth blocks (CEBs) is essential for their widespread adoption in the building construction [1], [2]. Numbers of studies have reported that the different stabilisation using chemical industrial binders: cement and lime or alternative/by-product binders: geopolymer, lime residue or riche husk ash improve various engineering and durability indicators of CEBs [3]- [7].…”